Are Points Treated Equally Between Companies?

[connect1]

Pretty new to points timeshare and exchanging.

Timeshares:
Are there certain timeshares to avoid that have inflated points counts (300,000 points only buy a one bedroom during a white week, etc.) ?

Exchange Companies:
How do we know if we purchase a 100,000 points in the Wyndham or Marriott system if they will convert equally as 100,000 RCI points or II points?

 

[tschwa2]

Points values aren't convertible or easily compared between systems. Also even though Wyndham exchanges through RCI and Marriott through II neither is deposited or even converts to RCI points or II points. They use crossover grids.

You have to learn the ins and outs of each system and a heck of a lot of rules and nuances if you really want to compare the value of multiple systems. RCI points and Interval club gold points are kind of generic points values for independent resorts and small resort systems that generally don't have their own points systems. You can use MF and number of points to compare points within the same system but not between different systems.

 

[DeniseM]

Also - some resorts are affiliated with RCI points, and some are affiliated with RCI Trading Power Units (TPU), and some are affiliated with II weeks, and a few with II points. They are not interchangeable.

Be aware that exchanging is not guaranteed, or anything close to it. It's not like making a hotel reservation. You may have all the points in the world, and still not be able to get the exchanges you want due to lack of availability.

I recommend that you start by answering these questions to focus your goals:

What to buy: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=208742

 

[puppymommo]

And a timeshare system that has a higher number of points needed isn't necessarily overinflated. It is just a matter of different currency.

For example, WorldMark might need 7,000 points for a week similar to what would cost 300,000 for Wyndham. It's not that one is more "expensive" than another. That would be based on the original price per point when the timeshare was purchased, either retail or resale.

Don't know if this makes sense or just makes it more obscure.

 

[connect1]

thank you

Yes pretty much clear as mud. I hoped there may be some formula -

For specific clarification... based on working with RCI. We have a Bluegreen timeshare . We can't deposit points to RCI, we have to choose our vacation based on the amount of points RCI sees that we have available through Bluegreen at that time.

Example Scenario:
I see RCI has a weeks stay for 20,000 points in a resort (when I am logged in through my Bluegreen account).

If I were to have an additional timeshare with points - one that also uses RCI as their exchange company. Can I assume that same week stay I see while logged in with my BlueGreen account that says it is 20,000 points is always going to be 20,000 points regardless of the timeshare I 'converting' points from?

Or, do points convert differently depending on the company they come from - not necessarily point for point when moving to RCI? For instance if I have 20,000 points available from TimeShare B when converted to RCI could RCI potentially convert them 2 for 1 so we only get 10,000 points to use in RCI (so resort week example above for 20,000 points would not be available to us without purchasing more point?).

I hope this question is clear - as you can tell I'm very much a newbie with this points / exchange business. Not picking on RCI, just the one I have worked with thus far. Thank you in advance.

 

[youppi]

Yes pretty much clear as mud. I hoped there may be some formula -

For specific clarification... based on working with RCI. We have a Bluegreen timeshare . We can't deposit points to RCI, we have to choose our vacation based on the amount of points RCI sees that we have available through Bluegreen at that time.

Example Scenario:
I see RCI has a weeks stay for 20,000 points in a resort (when I am logged in through my Bluegreen account).

If I were to have an additional timeshare with points - one that also uses RCI as their exchange company. Can I assume that same week stay I see while logged in with my BlueGreen account that says it is 20,000 points is always going to be 20,000 points regardless of the timeshare I 'converting' points from?

Or, do points convert differently depending on the company they come from - not necessarily point for point when moving to RCI? For instance if I have 20,000 points available from TimeShare B when converted to RCI could RCI potentially convert them 2 for 1 so we only get 10,000 points to use in RCI (so resort week example above for 20,000 points would not be available to us without purchasing more point?).

I hope this question is clear - as you can tell I'm very much a newbie with this points / exchange business. Not picking on RCI, just the one I have worked with thus far. Thank you in advance.

Each brand will have different points due to price per point are not the same. Each brand have their own point scale. You can see different charts from different brands exchanging with II in attachment (zipped) based on the II Travel Demand Index (TDI)
View attachment brands_points_chart_with_ii.zip

 

[DeniseM]

For many (most) resorts, there is no conversion chart, like Bluegreen uses. It depends on the resort system, and the exchange company - they are all different.

 

[tschwa2]

Some of your assumptions are correct some are not.
Most 3rd party (not rci) points systems use a cross over grid based on unit size and season to determine the number of points.

The numbers I am using may not be exact (they may be out of date) but will give you an idea.

Bluegreen
A 2BR exchange varies between 8000 and 22,000 BG points, a 1BR between 5000 and 17,000 BG points, and a studio for between 4000 and 14,000

Worldmark

Size Red Yellow(White) Green(Blue)
Studio 8000 6000 4000
1BR 9000 7000 5000
2BR 10000 8000 6000
3BR 12000 9000 7000
60 days or less 4000 4000 4000

Hilton Grand Vacation Club
POINT VALUES FOR RCI EXCHANGE RESERVATIONS

Unit Size Points Required
per Night Points Required
per 7-Night Stay
Studio Starting at 1,200 to 2,400
1 Bedroom Starting at 1,700 to 3,400
2 Bedroom Starting at 2,400 to 4,800
3 Bedroom Starting at 2,900 to 5,800

One thing to keep in mind that these crossover grids using points don't account for a specific resorts quality or demand. They are based only on the size of the unit and the seasonal demand.


So for example let's just say it is July in Orlando and you are looking for a 2br.
Wyndham Bonnet Creek
Westgate Vacation Villas
Vacation Villas at Parkway
Disney's Saratoga Springs
The Fountains
Festiva Orlando Resort
Hilton Grand VC at Sea World

In general all are going to cost the same points based on the system regardless of when you book with the exception of Worldmark which discounts exchanges made in the last 60 days prior to check in.
So BG 2br 20,000 1br
WM 2br 10,000
HGVC 2br 4800

If you start looking at RCI weeks. RCI uses a trading point units (tpu's) for both weeks deposits (which can change quarterly or more often) and already deposited exchanges which can change daily. RCI's tpu's range from 2-60 and are somewhat based on size and season but relies more heavily on other factors like demand.

The 2 Br resorts listed above would probably have a tpu value of 14-35 for most of the weeks and the Disney would probably have a value around 50.

If you start looking at RCI points, each resort in the points system has a negotiated range. The ones listed above probably range from 60,000 to 100,000 rci points. Resorts that are not an RCI points resort but are being booked by an rci points member use a crossover grid and you might get a 2 br Orlando resort for as low as 45,000 rci points.

 

[connect1]

Thank youeveryone.

DeniseM you are right the questions are a great start.

tschwa your examples broke through the mud!

youppi the company points examples were helpful